Comments on: Leadership: Part 3

By: Miki

Miki — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:56:57 +0000

Anyone can be a leader. Leadership isn’t what you do, it’s who you are. Real leadership isn’t something you announce you’re doing—it’s pronounced as done in the eye of the beholder.

Leadership and management are recognized as separate, but I believe that the model has changed since Warren Bennis defined 13 differences in “On Becoming a Leader.”

I’m starting a conversation at LeadershipTurn.com that will look at his 13 differences in light of today’s workforce. I’d love to have you all participate.

By: verybadcat

verybadcat — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:13:30 +0000

This was a great series. I especially like that part about “macro” managing. I tell my people that if I have a fault on that count, it will be giving them too much freedom, and that if they are ever unsure of a situation or judgment to absolutely come chat with me. I find that people take a lot more ownership when they’re given the freedom to attack problems in their own way. Our rule is that if you bring me a problem, you should also have an idea for a solution.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:43:48 +0000

2 and 3 struck home with me in a bad way. I was blindsided at my review about some things that I had no idea were coming. Of course I became defensive about it, and my supervisor was really taken aback by my reactions. He didn’t seem to realize that they had been talking about this for months, and it was all news to me; of course I’m going to react. I definitely had some responses to the feedback I was given, part of which involved other people affording me the same level of service, attentiveness, and respect that they expect from me, and it seemed like that was just tossed.

I’ve moved on, done what I can do for my part, but I admit that asking for what I need from others to most effectively do my job being totally ignored is quietly seething underneath my surface.

The last one is a great one. When I was a restaurant manager, one of my mentors taught me to take the servers into the office privately, a few per week, and just ask them how they like their schedule/ sections, stuff like that and if there’s anything that would make it better. He said he always got the best feedback in that short meeting, and he was usually able to give that person something they wanted, which kept them very happy for a long time. By the time the effect was waning, he was back to that person again.

By: Cynthia

Cynthia — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:41:25 +0000

My boss who I LOVE, he tends to give me a task and even if I fail at it, we sit down and discuss the pros and cons of the situation. What could be better or changed and what I did right. He’s very good at constructive criticism.

I love this series. I’m trying to implement a lot of what you say into my real life.